Condenser.



R. N. EHRHART. CONDENSER.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 81, 1912.

1 1 1 6,042. Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

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R. N. EHRHART.

CONDENSER.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 31, 1912.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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HIS ATTORNEY IN FACT.

UNITE STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

RAYMOND N. EHRHAR'I', OF EDGEWOOT), PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THEWESTING- HOUSE MACHINE GOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CONDENSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 31, 1912.

To c'zZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND N. EHRHART,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Edgewood, in thecounty of Allegheny and Stateof Pennsylvania, havemade a new and usefulInvention in Condensers, of

. denser to some rigid base, While the turbine is secured to a rigidfoundation, the connection between the condenser and turbine being anexpansion joint. In actual practice, while the condenser is'inoperation, there is a lifting force on the condenser due to thedifference in pressure within the condenser and that without thecondenser; that is to say, the atmospheric pressure has a tendency toraise the condenser shell and thereby put compression on the expansionjoint. As an example, the lifting force, when under vacuum, tending toraise the condenser would be the area of the exhaust times approximately14 pounds, so that if the lifting force' of the atmosphere is 75,000pounds and the weight of the condenser is 50,000 pounds, there will be aresultant lifting force of 25,000 pounds tending to tear the condenserloose from the foundation or correspondingly deflect the bed plate ofthe turbine whensecured thereto. If the condenser shell is suspendedfrom the bed plate of the turbine, its lifting force will have atendency to put the turbine bed plate under compression and therebyrelieve the bed plate from a portion of the atmospheric pressure whichitwould otherwise have to sustain. By suspending the condenser from theturbine bed plate not only will the upward pressure have a tendency torelieve the stresses upon the bed plate, but the condenser head maybeplaced closer to the turbine so that the loss in vacuum during thepassing of the steam from the turbine to the condenser is reduced to aminimum. By suspending the condenser from a superposed support, as forexample the turbine bed Serial No. 739,497.

plate, the condenser shell may expand and contract without rupturing thesupport to which it is attached.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevational view of a turbine andcondenser arranged in accordance with my invention;

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

and Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through a portionof the bed plate, the upper end'of the condenser being shown inelevation.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference: 10 designates aturbine, 11 a condenser, 12 the bed plate for the turbine, and 13 anexpansion joint connecting the turbine to the condenser. The condenseris shown as being suspended from the bed plate by bolts 14 passingthrough headed bushings 15 in the projections 16 on the condenser. Thereis a slight clearance between each bush and the projections 16 so as toallow for expansion in a lateral direction, While expansion in alongitudinal direction is taken care of by providing the bushings 15slightly .longer than the thickness of the flange of the projections 16.Inasmuch as the condenser is suspended above the ground it is obviousthat the heated condenser shell may expand, and in cooling contractwithoutpulling away from any rigid part. It will be apparent too thatwhen in use the diiference in pressure will relieve the strain upon thebed plate of the turbine to which the condenser is-secured, and when notin use the Weight of the condenser casting or shell will be sustained bythe bed plate 12.

The pump motor 17 is shown as being fast to the ground or support 18 and1s -connected to the pump 19 by a shaft20 having enough flexibility tocompensate for the exv pansion and contraction of the condenser.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Thecombination of a turbine, a con denser, an expansion joint betweenthe condenser and the turbine, and means for suspending the condenser.

2. The combination of a turbine, a condenser, an expansion joint betweenthe turbine and condenser, a condenser support, and means for looselysuspending the condenser from th support. 7

3. The combination of a turbine, asupport therefor. a condenser, anexpansion joint between the condenser and the turbine,

and a support common to the turbine and the I condenser from which thecondenser is suspended.

4:, The combination of a support, a turbine on the support, a condensersuspended from the support and in communication with the turbine. 5. Incombination with an engine, a' support for said engine, a steamcondenser in communication with the exhaust of said engine, and meansfor suspending said' condenser below said engine in such manner that thend is free to move vertically with relation to said support.

